This article explores the major aspects of putting together effective national systems of education oriented toward providing academic instruction to the population and preparing future human resources for work within the economy in specific alignment with the concept of environmental responsibility (or that of "green economy"). The…

Although most people in the United States believe, at least theoretically, in educational equality, fewer and fewer appear to care about the resource gaps between affluent and poor schools, says Weissbourd. He illustrates these gaps with vivid descriptions of what he calls an "opulence arms race" among affluent independent schools, but…

Many studies have pointed to a troubling phenomenon known as the "immigrant paradox." Despite an initial advantage length of residence in the United States appears to be associated with declining academic achievement and aspirations. To date, this line of research has taken a largely cross-sectional approach, comparing first, second, and…

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, a state with among the lowest levels of per capita income and education attainment in the United States, embarked on an ambitious set of higher education reforms in 1997 aimed at elevating the state to the national average of educational attainment by 2020. At the time of their enactment, the Kentucky reforms were…

In a continuation of long-term trends, life expectancy has been steadily increasing in the United States for the past several decades. Accompanying the recent increases, however, is a growing disparity in life expectancy between individuals with high and low income and between those with more and less education. The difference in life expectancy…

Comparisons of wellbeing between the United States and Western Europe generally show that most Americans have higher standards of living than do Western Europeans at comparable locations in their national income distributions. These comparisons of wellbeing typically privilege disposable income and cash transfers while ignoring other aspects of…

This study translated data reflecting life satisfaction from a large national Japanese survey into English. Perceptions of life satisfaction in Japan were compared to those in the United States. Data for U.S. subjects were taken from Gallup Polls in 1979, 1989, and 1990; Japanese data were based on personal interviews taken during the National…

A study was conducted to examine the following questions: (1) How does the United States compare with Japan, West Germany, and Sweden on the basis of indicators of quality of life?; (2) How does the United States compare on the basis of economic performance since l960?; and (3) What appears to be the relationship in the four countries between the…

Describes the United States as a growth-oriented, high-technology, high-consumption society where a growing sense of environmental responsibility and activism has usually taken an adversary relationship, often necessarily, towards such progress. Examines the historic roots that environmental protection and a consumer society have in common.…

The full texts of two speeches given at a Wingspread symposium in February 1976 deal with the exigency for a new international economic order which takes into account the needs of the developing nations, the reasons for conflicts between the developing and developed worlds, and the need for action now. Neville Kanakaratne, ambassador to the United…

Recent research has brought attention to the hardship faced by children of immigrants in the United States, particularly in the Mexican-origin population. In this study, the authors are concerned with the extent to which U.S.-born children of Mexican immigrants who live in unmarried families may face exceptional risks. Using data from the Fragile…